Buses line up outside of school in Chesterfield County. (Courtesy of Chesterfield County Public Schools)
Virginia public schools students may soon be able to attend telehealth appointments during school hours with parental consent, under legislation that cleared a House panel Wednesday morning.
House Bill 1945, introduced by Del. Atoosa Reaser, D-Loudoun, would require the Virginia Board of Education to guide local school boards on implementing policies to facilitate telehealth access, potentially including private spaces for sessions.
Currently, students must leave school to attend both in-person and virtual appointments.
The bill, recommended by the Joint Committee in Health Care, has garnered support during Tuesday’s House Education’s K-12 subcommittee meeting, including support from groups like the Virginia Education Association, the state’s largest teacher organization.
Chad Stewart, a policy analyst for the Virginia Education Association, praised the proposed telehealth bill during Tuesday’s meeting, emphasizing its potential to keep students in school.
“We are grateful that the patron has brought [the bill], and we’re hopeful that more health services can be rendered at school sites,” Stewart said. “We know that when students can access health services within a school, their absenteeism rates are dramatically reduced.”
Cat Atkinson, a policy analyst for Voices for Virginia’s Children, also voiced support, highlighting the bill’s benefit to underserved areas.
“This is great for our communities that really need services and accessibility to both telehealth and tele-therapy,” Atkinson said.
The bill now heads to the House Appropriations Committee. While no significant fiscal impact to the state is anticipated, the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget noted that any financial effect on local school divisions remains “indeterminate.”
The subcommittee advanced the bill with an amendment clarifying that school divisions adopting telehealth policies would not be required to implement them at every school.
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A Jan. 5 report from the joint committee outlined strategies to improve healthcare access for underserved populations, highlighting barriers like limited broadband service that restrict telehealth availability.
“Those underserved populations would then have available to them a tool if their school division decides to employ this permissive option,” said Reaser, the delegate from Loudoun. “Schools that have technology and internet access and resources may then choose to allow for this service.”
Reaser told The Mercury that the bill aims to improve healthcare access for students and families by giving schools the option to offer telehealth appointments. She highlighted it as an innovative tool for parents to opt into, particularly benefiting those without the technology for telehealth at home or without nearby medical providers.
The legislation requires schools to designate private, secure locations for telehealth appointments and ensure student safety and privacy. It also prohibits schools from disciplining students for attending telehealth sessions or in-person health appointments during school hours.
Some districts, like Roanoke City Public Schools, already provide telehealth services.Roanoke offers free access to mental health resources to increase accessibility and reduce stigma, according to WDBJ.
If passed, the bill could enable more schools to expand similar offerings to students statewide.
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